


Build-A-Bear

by LilBeanMel



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Ardyn didn't ruin it, Crack, Father-Son Relationship, Founder's Day continues, Gen, Humor, Noctis Lucis Caelum is a Dork, Noctis just wants to help his dad, Pre-Canon, manager barusu is back better than ever, prompto is playing kingdom hearts, sora riku and kairi are also here hehe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:47:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27637745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilBeanMel/pseuds/LilBeanMel
Summary: Founder's Day is drawing near, and as per tradition, Insomnia holds a festival in celebration of the ancient Kings. Prince Noctis is given a task from King Regis in preparation for the big day. What his father failed to mention was that it involved children and stuffed animals.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Build-A-Bear

**Author's Note:**

> I suddenly imagined Noctis working at build a bear and then this happened, please enjoy.

King Regis was a terribly busy man. His country was in a war he was losing a little more every day, and the toll of maintaining the Wall in a state strong enough to keep their attackers at bay weighed heavy on his body. The man barely had enough time to carry out his basic kingly duties. In turn, this left him with even less time to spend with his son and interact with him as a father rather than as a King.

This was something Regis regretted deeply. 

Which is why he made certain that during these rare moments of respite, the two were not to be disturbed unless Insomnia was quite literally burning.

He wanted Noctis to have pleasant memories of him being his father to look back on, so he took it upon himself to dismiss the cooks for the night and whip up dinner himself. 

If Noctis' eagerness to shove bite after bite into his mouth was anything to go by, Regis had to guess he did a pretty good job. Clarus would have to give him a pat on the back for his improvement.

Maybe a smile too.

Yet he had a feeling nothing would compare to Ignis' cooking in both Noctis' eyes and his own. Regis almost felt it a waste of the young man's talents to spend his life working as an advisor rather than as a chef.

"I suppose you must be busy at school with preparations for Founder's Day." Regis spoke after taking a sip of his drink.

Noctis took a moment before responding to finish swallowing his food. He had enough respect for his father to practice basic table manners in his presence.

"Not really," He said, pushing his food around with his fork. "Everyone's pretty much got everything covered. I'm trying to figure out where I'm needed the most." 

Regis' lips quirked into a small smile. "That's perfect then. I happen to have a job for you," 

Noctis' eyes lit up as he glanced at his father in silent question. 

"There's a new store that I was planning on opening this year, but unfortunately, head manager Barusu's mother has fallen ill so he will be on leave until further notice. Are you up to filling his shoes?" 

There was a glimmer of excitement that shone in Noctis' eyes that only those who knew how to read him could catch. Yet as quickly as it came, Noctis shoved it down and cleared his throat before giving a reply.

"Of course, I'd be happy to. I mean- If you trust me enough to handle an important job like this." 

Regis fought the frown that threatened to cover his face.

"I would not bring this up if I did not believe you could handle the task, Noct." His voice held a teasing lilt, and his smile broadened when Noctis visibly relaxed in his chair.

"Alright then." 

Regis went to refill his drink, and to Noctis' surprise, his father slid one over to him as well with barely enough liquid to fill the bottom of the glass.

"Dad, I can't drink yet. I'm not old enough." 

Regis raised a brow from behind his own glass. "Surely a sip will not kill you. Besides, this is between us."

Noctis eyed the drink with suspicion before tentatively taking it in his hand and taking a cautious sip.

At the very moment of contact on his tongue, Noctis ripped the glass away from his lips and contorted his face in disgust. "You drink this stuff willingly?" He asked incredulously. 

A hearty laugh escaped his father as he took another swig of his of his drink. "You'll grow to appreciate it more when you get older."

Noctis wasn't too sure, but he couldn't help joining in on his father's laughter.

Unbeknownst to Noctis, it was cranberry juice.

But it's not like Regis would admit that.

\-------

"So you get to do prince stuff? Man, that's so cool!" Prompto's exclamation was followed by a series of frenzied clicks and button mashing. Noctis was sprawled out on the couch with one arm dangling over the edge while Prompto hogged his gaming system.

"It's not really prince stuff. I'm just taking up the role as manager." Noctis tore his eyes away from the stack of papers in his hand to watch as Prompto executed a particularly flashy combo. 

Noctis had originally thought the store would be some sort of food vendor, but his Dad supported independent businesses, so taking away their most productive time of the year didn't make sense.

He couldn't even begin to guess what sort of store was being opened from the equipment alone.

A store that would gather attention during a festival... He couldn't tell based off the list he was given.

In truth, Noctis didn't understand a single word on the list of machinery and supplies required, all he knew was that he just needed to make sure they got there.

What even was a vortex series anyway? Honestly, head manager Barusu did most of the work finding these bizarre things.

Prompto laughed, his eyes fixated on the screen. "You say that like it's nor- Ohhh!! Finally! I beat you, you pink haired punk!" Prompto threw his controller in victory but Noctis sent it back into the Armiger before it could deal any damage to his belongings.

Noctis made it a point to bind all of his controllers to the Armiger after one of Prompto's previous hard fought victories led to the bathroom mirror shattering.

It was embarrassing to explain to Ignis afterwards. 

"Maybe next time fight me with that scythe of yours instead of breaking all of my cards, bubblegum looking bastard!" Prompto didn't notice the controller's disappearance until the next cutscene began to play. 

The ending cutscene that he worked so hard to get to.

His head whipped around as he turned over the mountain of pillows that enveloped him. "Wha- Wait! I'm not ready! Pause! Pause!"

A devious grin spread on Noctis' lips as he summoned the controller back into his hands. 

"Noct, please save Prompto the torture of missing the game and pause it for him, would you?" A third voice joined them. "Put your things aside and eat."

Noctis sat up with a faint pout, wanting to mess with him a little more. He paused the game and passed the controller back to Prompto who lost interest in his game when Ignis made his appearance with two plates of food.

A line of drool nearly escaped his mouth simply from the smell. "I thank the Astrals for allowing me to taste such divine cuisine every week. I must've been the Founder King's Shield in a past life to deserve to taste this molten gold."

"The praise is much appreciated." Ignis said, unable to warn Prompto of the food's hot temperature before he wolfed it down.

"Anyway," Prompto said in between bites. "You're still pretty lucky, Noct. You probably had management training as a kid as part of your princely lessons."

Noctis shrugged in response. Prompto was right. That, and a million other forms of training that probably put him ahead of most kids.

"I'm so jealous! I was made class manager for the festival but I don't have a clue what I'm supposed to do!"

Noctis pondered for a moment until he reached a promising solution. "Hey, how about you have Specs help you?"

Said man in question froze. "As much as I would like to assist you, Prompto, I'm afraid that I am far too busy with my own duties."

"Eighty percent of your responsibilities revolve around me, and I say help him out." 

Prompto turned to Ignis with gleaming eyes overflowing with hope. As if Ignis was his rescue helicopter, hovering above an oasis in a deserted land, ready to fly him away from his problems.

Noticing the intense gaze on him, Ignis sighed.

"Very well, then." He relented, and Prompto cheered, throwing an arm around Ignis' neck to pull him into a hug while he shouted his gratitude directly into the poor man's ear.

Noctis watched with a small smile tugging at his lips. His gaze fell back to his own responsibilities he had to take care of. He had a lot of work ahead of him for the next following weeks, but he wouldn't let his father down. Not when he finally trusted him with such an important job.

\-------

Assembling this store had become a priority he learned to balance between school and his daily life, yet he wasn't any closer to figuring out just what kind of store it was. 

Almost as if it were meant to be a secret, there was no mention of a name that could help him guess what it was, and the equipment was just as inconspicuous as when he first glanced at that list.

Today though, he was meeting with both his father and Manager Barusu regarding construction progress. As much as he didn't want to let it show, Noctis was looking forward to finally discovering exactly what it was he dedicated over a month of his time to build. So when he was pulled into a small meeting room that held only his father, Clarus, Manager Barusu, and himself, he was filled with high expectations.

Barusu stood from his seat and lightly bowed along with Clarus when the royal entered the room.

"Good morning, son." Noctis bowed to the King, greeting him in turn before slipping into a chair across from Manager Barusu. 

"Good morning, Your Highness," Barusu greeted. "Apologies for calling you here at such an early hour." 

Noctis lifted his lips in a dry smile, drawing a loud chuckle from the older man. It was already 11am, but everyone who worked closely with the King was aware of the Prince's sleeping habits. Manager Barusu was one of the only ones to consistently poke fun at him over it, however.

He was a friendly and carefree man, caring little for status and formalities while still maintaining enough respect to not be considered insulting. 

The man was an enigma.

"How's your mother? I heard she was sick and that's why you left. Is she better now?" Noctis asked, both as a change of subject and out of genuine concern.

Barusu blinked in surprise before a wide smile replaced his shock. "She's still doing pretty bad, but her health has improved. I'm heading back to my hometown after this meeting, I just felt bad for leaving His Highness with all of the work!" He said with a laugh.

Noctis couldn't help but feel as if Barusu was underestimating his abilities. 

A light laugh left King Regis from the head of the table. "Well then, let us proceed so that we may all rest once this meeting concludes."

Disregarding the jab directed at him, Noctis sits a little straighter as the meeting commences and they dive into discussions regarding adequate supplies, advertisement strategies and everything in-between.

"You did great getting all of the supplies in order!" Barusu praised after Noctis had confirmed their inventory. "It was hard to locate a lot of these machines so I was worried about the stock and if it were possible to get our hands on them."

Regis nods, passing off a no longer needed stack of papers to Clarus. "Yes, well done Noctis."

Pride swelled in the Prince's chest. All of the work and endless phone calls were worth it for those few words. His father's approval meant everything to him, and knowing that he lightened his work load, no matter how little, was enough for him.

Maybe now that he completed this task, Regis would entrust even more important matters with him.

"I know how much of a pain it can be to get things like this together, it's my job after all." The manager groaned, running a hand through his slicked back hair. "If you need any help with setting up shop and arrangement, you're welcome to contact my wife, Lia. She's loves these kinds of things anyways."

That comment was a perfect lead-in for the question that's been weighing on Noctis' mind for the past month that he still hadn't gotten an answer to yet.

"What kinds of things?" Noctis asked. 

"Stuffed animals and cute things. She's kind of a kid when it comes to that stuff but she gets this little twinkle in her eyes and her whole face lights up like a goddess and it's cute enough to give a man a stroke- Oh, sorry, I started rambling... Hehe," Barusu scratched his cheek, flustered for allowing himself to lose his composure in front of the royals.

The grip he had on his documents loosened, and the pride Noctis felt moments before vanished without a trace.

"Your wife sounds most charming, Barusu." Regis held a fond smile upon his aged features. Barusu certainly seemed enamored with his wife. "I hope you haven't allowed her to provide name suggestions, because I had one in mind. What do you think of 'Build-A-Bear'?"

"Hmm... That's too simple and literal, don't you think, Your Majesty?"

"This is an attraction for children. I believe a simple and easy to remember name would be best." The King countered.

They began to bounce ideas off of one another, but every word of it went in one ear and out the other for Noctis. Was this the important task Regis had Noctis working on for the past month? This childish task that, in the end, wouldn't prove anything to his father? 

This doesn't take any weight off his dad's shoulders, he realized. There were plenty of people who could have taken Barusu's place.

 _"I would not bring this up if I did not believe you could handle the task, Noct."_

Did that mean he couldn't trust him with anything serious?

His hand tightened into a hard fist as he clenched his jaw shut. The papers in his grasp crumbled.

"What about you, Prince Noctis? Which name do you like best?"

Barusu's voice ripped Noctis from his spiraling thoughts. "Oh, uh, the first one was fine." He had to clear his throat while he spoke to get rid of its rough edge. His father and Manger Barusu chose not to say anything if they had noticed.

Regis nodded with a satisfied look on his face. "As I thought."

Clarus glanced at the Prince through the corner of his eye from his station beside the King, well aware of the sudden change of mood from the boy.

\-------

Any semblance of motivation Noctis had for the project had been efficiently snuffed out after that meeting some time ago.

Noctis still intended to see the opening of the shop through to the end. Quitting at the finish line would just be petty and childish. More so than the true nature of the shop itself.

His deteriorating motivation was noticeable, especially to Prompto and Ignis who were both busy and making steady progress on their own tasks.

Noctis knew that he was making a bigger deal out of it than it was and blowing things out of proportion, but he couldn't help but feel wronged.

The young prince supposed that no matter how he was deceived and his pride was trampled over, the toy shop would still be a wonderful addition to this year's festival.

And now, here he was on Founder's Day, just a few minutes before the festival was to officially start, taking in the fruits of his labor.

He would be proud of assembling the shop, regardless of his father, if the theme wasn't so... 

"Childish," He muttered beneath his breath.

Cartoonish faces of deflated chocobos, carbuncles, bears, and even tonberries mocked him, as did the rest of the flashy interior.

At least he finally discovered that the colorfully painted machines with complicated names were for stuffing the dolls fast enough without creating a twenty minute wait for the next customer.

Prompto found this place amazing, a little slice of paradise for his inner child. In fact, the blonde had begged Noctis to let him in before opening so he could take a dozen pictures before the shelves were wiped.

Noctis could have sworn that he even made himself his own chocobo while he wasn't looking.

"Welcome!" A voice startled him from his thoughts, and all of the sudden, the loud buzz of the quickly growing crowd outdoors had filled his ears, followed by a wave of excited giggling and gasps of awe.

Small voices shouted over one another, some voicing which animal they wanted, and others admiring all of the colorful outfits and accessories that were available. 

Noctis let a smile tug at his lips, deciding to stay hidden away in his concealed corner for a while longer before he revealed himself or was discovered. Whichever came first.

The woman who had been greeting the children inside was suddenly gone from the front of the shop and was making a beeline to his hiding place.

"Prince Noctis! There's a... there's a major problem!" She spluttered in a hushed voice. "The Vortex Series is malfunctioning!" Her eyes were wide in panic as she practically vibrated with nerves.

Noctis stared at the woman like she was insane. The vortex what now?

Oh right, the stuffing machine.

Wait.

Oh shit. The stuffing machine.

"Seriously?" He hissed to himself, hopping off of his stool, frantically opening and closing drawers and scrambling in a search to find a manual for the machine like a madman.

There's no way he can get someone to fix the machine at this point in time, and he began to wonder if the damn thing came with a manual in the first place. He can't just kick them out and close the shop before it even had a chance to show results. 

A tap came on his shoulder and he turned to find the anxious woman now completely calm and composed. 

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I'm sure you can handle things." She said with a smile, her eyes crinkling around the edges.

"What?"

It was then that he heard the children begin to grow impatient. Whines and complaints reached his ears as an army of toddlers stormed up to the counter to demand service in the most child-like fashion.

Angry baby faces rounded the corner to his hiding spot, and quickly, the irritated faces became ones of awe.

"Wow! It's Prince Noctis!" They cheered, running up to his legs and latching on. He glanced at the woman for help, but was suddenly aware of her missing. His head whipped around to search for her, but she up and disappeared, like a figment of his imagination.

"What the-"

"Prince Noctis! Prince Noctis! Are you really a prince!?" A little girl peered up at him with stars glimmering in her eyes.

Well how the hell was he supposed to answer that?

Noctis was no stranger to that phrase. The words being thrown at him by those who were fed up with his unbecoming behavior was a frequent occurrence, although the tone tended to be a lot harsher. Gladio and Cor being the usual suspects behind those words.

"Yep, that's right," He offered an awkward smile and wave to the girl who seemed completely oblivious to his lack of princely grace.

Immediately after his confirmation, he was bombarded with questions from all around him—or, well, below him.

"Do you have a bunch of butlers and maids?"

"Do you get to eat candy whenever you want?"

"Is your hair real?"

"Do princes poo-"

Okay let's skip that one.

Speechless, Noctis wasn't sure if he should be grateful or dread the approaching steps of parents who came to make sure their kids weren't looting the toy store.

"Oh my- Your Highness!" The men and women fell into a bow and pulled their kids away from his legs.

Noctis let his hands fall to his sides. There were too many eyes on him. He didn't know how to deal with kids—in fact, he's hardly been around them. He's volunteered at orphanages only a handful of times and each visit was as awkward as the last.

Lunafreya was years ahead of him mentally, and Ignis had been an adult possessing a child's body. Hell, Gladio and him couldn't even stand each other until a few years ago. He didn't know how a normal child acted when he was so distant from them.

This had to be some kind of plan by his father. Everything was planned so perfectly to make it seem so, and yet he knew his father wouldn't put him in a situation like this for a laugh.

Noticing the silence, Noctis swallowed his doubt, clapped his hands together, and stepped out from behind the counter.

There's no changing the situation, so he might as well roll with it and whine about it later.

"Welcome to Build-A-Bear Workshop! Your stuffed friends born here aren't just any ordinary animals, they are brought to life with the power of friendship and love! Now get out there and pick what Bearince and Bearincess you'd like!" 

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple as his hand was outstretched in command. He came up with that on the spot, and he thought it was pretty good, yet he was met with silence and wide, blinking eyes.

His shoulders slumped, as he worked his brain for something that would catch their attention.

"They're also given some of my magical powers?" 

A roar of high pitched cheers erupted and then they were off. A sea of toddlers raiding the shelves like bandits. 

The first kid held up an unstuffed chocobo and eagerly bounced on his toes. Noctis took the plush with a soft smile, sending it into the Armiger and summoning it back from behind the boy's head. A series of giggles made his smile broaden.

"What's your name kiddo?" Noctis asked after the small magic show.

"Sora!" The boy beamed with bright eyes.

Noctis nodded. "Alright Sora, I want you to count with me how many times I put cotton into little chocobo here, okay?" The boy nodded, pulling a face of utter concentration as his eyes seemed to zone in intensely on Noctis' hands. 

Noctis barely suppressed a snort when he began to count with the boy as he manually stuffed the plush. He finished on the seventh handful and zipped the back closed, handing the toy over to Sora.

"Seven means he's seven weeks old. Take care of him now, he's young." A frowning Sora pushed the chocobo back to Noctis whose brows knit together in confusion. 

"What about the magic?" The rest of the kids nodded and whined about the lack of magic.

"The magic? Oh right! The magic," Noctis hesitated. These kids won't believe there's magic if they don't see it, but he still doesn't have a firm hold on his powers. His eyes still shone a terrifying blood red due to his lack of control. He doesn't want to scare them.

However when the children began to whine louder and started to doubt that there was any magic in the first place was when he decided to take the risk.

His eyes melted from its natural calming blue, the color swirling and turning purple briefly around his pupils. A single blink and his eyes were overtaken by a deep red.

He channeled a weak stream of lightning into his fingers, letting the sparks dance around the chocobo. Tension left Noctis' shoulders when he heard gasps of excitement rather than gasps of fear.

Letting the electricity die out, he released a soft gust of aero magic, gently shifting clothes and hair.

Noctis paid no attention to the cameras fixated on him and his magical display, because the reaction he received was enough to make him forget ever resenting this project.

He pulled out a plastic heart and handed it to the still amazed Sora. "I want you to rub this on your head so your friend will be as smart as you," 

Noctis could've sworn he heard something akin to "He'll be pretty dumb then..." from a white-haired boy beside Sora, followed by a barely suppressed chuckle from a red-haired girl behind the two boys.

"Now tap it against your muscles so he'll be as strong as you. Now smile real big so he'll always be happy no matter what!" 

Sora handed the heart back once he finished all of his tasks and Noctis stuffed it into the chocobo.

"He's alive! Now what's his name, Sora?" Noctis asked with a fond smile when the boy hugged the plush close to his chest. 

"Sora also!" He cheered. His two friends facepalmed.

Noctis laughed, "Sora and Sora junior it is then." He ruffled the boy's already wild hair and called for the next kids.

Before he left, Sora dug into his pockets and pulled out a crown-shaped sticker coated in glitter, pressing it onto Noctis' cheek and pushing down firmly to make sure it stuck. 

Noctis stilled, shocked at the sudden gift. His surprise quickly turned to into a grin as he gave the boy another pat on the head and turned back to the kids.

Just as he was about to take the next plush, a kid spoke up from the back.

"Come ooonnn, this is taking foreverrrr!" He cried, and a few other children muttered their agreements.

Noctis kneeled to their height and placed a hand on their shoulders.

"The friends you create here are born from your heart. And their hearts influence your hearts. You want to be princes and princesses, right?" The kids nodded.

"Then you gotta be patient, you'll all get your turns. If you wanna be princes and princesses, you need a lot of patience. You think I wanna sit around for four hours straight listening about taxes?"

"What are taxes?"

"Nevermind, you don't wanna know. Stay pure."

\-------

"Has Yuna completed her task?"

"Yessir, she broke the machine and left the kid to his own devices a while ago."

"I still can't help but think this was a horrible idea, Your Majesty."

"Yes, Clarus, you've mentioned that many times already." 

The Shield rolled his eyes most respectively at his King. "Because it's ten minutes to his speech and your boy has yet to show. I told you this would happen from the start."

"Maybe you hurt his pride so much he ran away?" Barusu chimed in, balancing his chair on its back legs.

Clarus sent his glare straight into Barusu's soul, the manager merely grinning in response. "Don't you have an ill mother to return to, Manager?"

The black-haired man chuckled. "Oh yes, yes. She was just so disappointed to miss the festival so she asked me to record it for her. And what better view than the King's personal chambers that oversees the entire event?"

"If you are to be in the presence of the King, you should dress the part at the very least." Clarus spat, frown ever present upon his features.

Barusu looked down at his black and orange tracksuit. He did plan on joining the crowd when the concert started after the Prince's speech. The true concert experience is being lost in the heat of the crowd. But he won't tell Clarus that.

"Would you so kindly continue your couple's dispute elsewhere?" Regis sighed.

Regis had never seen such a disgusted expression on his best friend's face in all of the years he's known the man. 

Clarus turned his back on the two. "Not only is the idea as revolting as it is ludicrous, I am a married man, Regis. Were I to fall so low as to find someone else's company, I'd have far higher standards." 

"Oooh, you wanna kiss me so bad-"

Sensing a murder about to take place and not wanting to be a witness, the King interrupted the two. "Barusu, please don't provoke Clarus any further." 

"Aye aye sir,"

Barusu had complied easily enough with a snicker and went back to gazing down at the crowd below. Regis eyed Clarus who was sending his own imaginary Armiger through Barusu with a murderous gaze. 

Regis shook his head and took a seat across from the head manager. "Returning to the subject beforehand, this was a test for Noctis." 

Barusu raised a brow, "But you seriously hurt his pride with this one. You know he wants to help you. Wasn't there another way you could've tested him?"

"I'm aware of his eagerness to ease my burden, but he's not ready for such tasks. He's a prideful boy, that one. The purpose of this test wasn't for him to assemble and manage the formation of a new establishment, it was for him to learn how to push aside his pride in order to bring smiles to the faces of his people and handle an unforeseen situation."

Barusu hummed, something outside catching his gaze. "Well I'd give the kid a B-. Dock off some points for late turn in, though." His finger tapped the glass, calling the King and his Shield to peer out the window.

Noctis rushed through the backstage, shoving his arms through a suit jacket that Ignis was helping him pull on. Small flakes of snow littered his hair from when he used an ice spell earlier, and his fringe was damp from where some of the ice had melted.

Clarus huffed with a faint smile, pleased that the Prince finally made his appearance. 

A grin of pride pulled at Regis' lips, and a laugh escaped him when he spotted the small and glittery crown sticker that adorned Noctis' cheek. It went completely unnoticed by him as he stepped onto the stage and began his speech.

"No," Regis said. "I think he deserves an A."

**Author's Note:**

> Despite what Noctis thinks, he's actually really good with kids. And yes, Regis totally received a video copy of Noctis working at build a bear because all of the parents were recording him


End file.
